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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Moths » Bombycoidea » Sphinx Moths (Sphingidae) » Macroglossinae » Dilophonotini » Pseudosphinx » Tetrio Sphinx - Hodges#7830 (Pseudosphinx tetrio)

Species Pseudosphinx tetrio - Tetrio Sphinx - Hodges#7830

Classification · Hodges Number · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Tetrio Sphinx Moth caterpillars on plumeria - Pseudosphinx tetrio

huge fleshy caterpillar - Pseudosphinx tetrio

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

No Taxon (Moths)

Superfamily Bombycoidea

Family Sphingidae (Sphinx Moths)

Subfamily Macroglossinae

Tribe Dilophonotini

Genus Pseudosphinx

Species tetrio (Tetrio Sphinx - Hodges#7830)

Hodges Number

7830

Other Common Names

Frangipani caterpillar, The Giant Gray Sphinx.

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

First described in 1771 by Linnaeus as Sphinx tetrio

Pseudosphinx tetrio

Size

5 - 5 1/2 inches (12.7 - 14 cm) wingspan (2)

Identification

The larva of this hawkmoth has a long thread-like anal horn. It is very strikingly colored, the body being purplish black, girdled with yellow rings between the segments, and the head and anal claspers being bright red, of the color of sealing wax.(1)

Range

The insect occurs not uncommonly in southern Florida.(1)

Food

The larvae feed on Frangipani Plumeria, and other plants in the Dogbane family (Apocynaceae).

Print References

Holland (1)

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group

Butterflies and Moths of North America (2)

Bill Oehlke's Sphingidae of the Americas

Featured Creatures

Mantissa Plantarum altera, p.538 Linnaeus' original description of the species

Works Cited

1.	The Moth Book By W. J. Holland

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by Matthew Roth, Chuck Entz, Maury Heiman
Last updated 17 October, 2011 - 9:04pm

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